Offset printing attachment



2 Sheets-Sheet l D BELCHER OFFSET PRINTING ATTACHMENT Filed June 18. 1924 Dec. 20, 1927.

[72 V7Z ZZOZ" DAN/EL 5a CHER M ffTTOJQ/YEK Dec 20, 1927.

D. BELCHER OFFSET PRINTING ATTACHMENT (J I b I fEL CHE/F ATTORNEY;

-Patented* Dec. 20, 1927.

- UNITED STATES.

. 1,653,198 PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL BELOHEB, OI? MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO BEHIS BRO. BAG (10.,

OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,

A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

OFFSET PRINTING ATTACHMENT.

Application filed June 18,

This invention relates to improvements in printing presses and provides means where by at small cost and with'a minimum amount of labor a press for direct printing can be converted into an offset press. The invention further provides means whereby after conversion from a direct printing to an offset press, the mechanism is left in such condition that, if desired, it can be re-converted into a direct printing press with a very small amount of labor.

An important object of my invention is to provide means for converting a multicolor direct printing press into an offset or transfer printing press, while leaving the mechanism in such condition that it may be reconverted into a direct printing press.

Features of the invention include all de- \tails of construction; the provision of extra bearings on the main frame to receive extra parts or to allow re-arrangement of parts from one portion of the frame to another; the provision of an extra frame for supporting the feed table and the fiyst ick and reel mechanisms, and generally to the scheme for allowing conversion of a direct press into one of the offset type, quickly and at small expense.

Objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawings forming a' part of this application, and in said drawings Figure 1 shows a direct printing press, before conversion into an offset press by use ofmy attachment, the main frame initially being constructed to provide mountings for certain parts to be transposed, when conversion is desired; and

Figure 2 shows the conversion complete, with certain parts of the direct press transposed to different positions upon the main frame, and showing certain other parts of the direct press, transferred to an auxiliary frame provided by the attachment, and also showing the auxiliary impression cylinder added upon the main frame.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 2 rep resents a main frame of a press of the direct printing type. Upon the frame are mounted a series of printing rolls 3. Three printing cylinders have been indicated in the drawings, and it is understood that gearing is provided to suitably operate the same. The numeral 4 represents the ordinary impression cylinder arranged in proper rela- 1024; Serial No. 720,851.

tion to the printing rolls 3. It-is to be understood that in direct printing this cylinder serves as an mpression cylinder and, the cylinder and printing rolls are rotated so that the top of the cylinder travels toward the rolls 3, as shown in Figure 1. In offset printing the rotation of the roll 4 (which is then the transfer or offset cylinder) is reversed so that this roll and the substitute roll 5 rotate in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Figure 2.

In-order to use the same press for transfer or offset printing, I provide an auxiliary cyl nder 5 preferably, although not neces sarily, of the same diameter as cylinder 4, and this cylinder is provided with a suitable shaft 6 mounted in auxiliary bearings 7, secured as by bolts 8 to the main frame 2. Th s cylinder 5, which acts as an impression cylinder in offset printing, has a gear 9 meshing with the gear 11 of the cylinder 4. It will be noted that the cylinder 4 remains in the same relation to the main frame of the press under all conditions of use, only the blanket being changed, or re-arranged.

When it is desired to use the press for off-set or transfer printing, see Figure 2, a. suitable transfer blanket 12 is secured or arranged upon the cylinder 4 and the driving mechanism of the direct printing press is transposed and changed. Under these conditions, the drivingvmotion of the rolls 3 and cylinder 4 are reversed to obtain rotation of these parts in a direction shown by the arrows in Figure 2. The auxiliary cylinder 5 due to its geared relation with cylinder 4 is rotated in the direction shown. A motor drive has been shown.

The usual means for feeding the material to the impression cylinder of the direct printing press is shown as comprising a table 13, see Figure 1, secured upon the to of removably mounted frames 13, which frames are removed and dispensed with when the conversion is made. This to allow attachment of the auxiliary cylinder 5. As shown, one leg of this table is attached by a bolt 13 which has threaded engagement with an opening 13 of the main frame. When the conversion is made, this opening 13 receives one of the screws 8 (see Figure 2) which secure the bearing block 7 for the shaft 6 of the auxiliary cylinder 5. A stop 15 is mounted in suitable bearings and it will be understood that when conversion is of the main frame.

made, the shaft 15" of the stop 15 is transferred'to auxiliary bearings 14 of the frame 14. The gripper fingers of the cylinder 4 when conversion is made are removed, and may be transferred to the cylinder 5. The cylinder 5 is, however, preferably already e uipped,with the fingers 16. In any event, lien the conversion is made, the fingers are removed from the cylinder 4. The fingers operate in the usual manner. r

The usual flystick mechanism comprises the reel 17 properly arranged as shown in Figure 1, so that when the gripper fingers 16 release, the gripper fingers 18 of the reel grasp the end of the paper in the usual manner to carry the same around the reel. The shaft 22 is mounted in bearings 22 of the main frame but the auxiliary frame 14 is provided with a bearing 14 for this shaft.

On the end of the shaft 22 is a cam 21. This cam functions to actuate the gripper fingers 18 in timed relation to the gripping fingers 16 of the cylinder 4.

The fl sticks 19 are mounted on a shaft 23 held in bearings 23 of the main frame, see Figure 2. The auxiliary frame 14 is provided with bearings 23, see Figure 2, to which the shaft 23 is transferred when the conversion is made. The flysticks are, in all instances, related in the usual manner to th. reel. A rock arm 24 is secured to one end of the shaft 23 and this arm is connected by a link 25 to a cam actuated arm 26 pivoted on a stud 27 mounted in a bearing 26" When conversion is made, the element 26 is transferred to the auxiliary bearing 27 of the main frame. The usual roller 28 engages a cam 29, Figure 1, and when the conversion is made this cam 29 is transferred to the shaft 6 of theauxiliary roll 5, the relation of the bearing 27" to the auxiliary bearing 7 being such that proper operation of the arm 26 is obtained. However, the shaft 6 of the cylinder 5 may be provided with a cam 29 so that no transfer from cylinder 4 is necessary.

As shown in Figure 1 the roller 28 is held against its cam bv means of a spring 31 having one end secured to the main frame 2 as at 31. and having its other end secured to the lever 32. .When conversion is made, the spring 31 isconnected to the auxiliary frame 14 which for this purpose, in this instance, is provided with a stud 31, which corresponds to the stud 31 of .the main frame. The reel is ordinarily driven by the gear 33 which meshes with the gear 11 of the cylinder 4. When conversion is made the gear 33 meshes with the gear 9 of the auxiliary cylinder 5.

It is to be understood that after conversion, see Figure 2, the transfer blanket 12" is so arranged upon the periphery of the cylinder 4, now a transfer cylinder, that it will engage the sheet of material at the proper of and carry gers 16, until the end thereof is asse between the impression cylinder an the reel 17 at which time the gripper fin ers 16 release the end of the material an the grippers 18 on the reel then grasp the end thereit around the reel to the flysticks 19 by means of which it may be eje'cted from the machine and stacked u on a suitable receiving means such as the ta 1e 34.

On the accompanying drawing, I have shown the cylinders as being of the same diameter, but it is to be understood that these cylinders may be of different sizes. It has also been found that by thus converting an ordinary rotary direct type of printing press into an offset type of printing press, that multiple color printing may be accomplished by the use of a single transfer blanket mounted on the transfer cylinder. This is of particular advantage when printing material such as printing designs on flour bags and the like where several colors are used in making the impression.

It is also to be understood that sheets or bags of various size may be printed by the use of this novel printing attachment and also that impressions may be made upon a continuous web of material by slightly modifying the construction thereof, such as eliminating the reel 17 and flysticks 19 and in which case it would be preferable to substitute therefor a means to receive said printed material.

My invention provides a cheap means for converting a single or multicolor direct press into an offset printing press, at the same time leaving the mechanism in such condition that, if desired, it may be reconverted.

Prior to my invention the printing presses have been constructed either for direct printin" or for offset printing and no means hereto ore has been provided for readil converting one type of press into anot erin such a manner that reconversion may be made to direct printing in a short time and at very small expense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A rinting press including a main frame, aving bearings for respectively mounting an auxiliary cylinder and a flystick operating lever, an auxiliary frame attachable to the end of the main frame and having bearings for receiving a fly-stick shaft and a reel shaft.

2. A rinting p ess including a; main frame, aving bearings for respectively mounting an auxiliary printing cylinder and a fly-stick operating lever, an auxiliary frame attachable to the end of the main frame and having bearin s fly-stick shaft and a reel aft, the bearings for receiving a ferred from the main frame, and to position these to cooperate with an auxiliary printing cylinder held in the auxiliary printing cylinder bearing of the main frame, the arrangement being 'such that the gear of the reel meshes with the gear of the auxiliary cylinder, and that the auxiliary cylinder is driven by the cylinder of the press.

3. A device of the class described comprising a press of the direct printing type including a main frame, having extra bearings adjacent the forward side for mounting respectively a fly-stick operating lever and an auxiliary printing cylinder adjacent said lever, and an auxiliary frame attachable to the forward end of the main frame and having bearings for receiving a fly stick shaft and a reel shaft, the bearings of said auxiliary frame being positioned to receive a fly-stick and reel mechanism transferred from the main frame, and to dispose them in proper operating relation to the auxiliary printing cylinder held in the auxiliary printing cylinder bearings of the main frame.

4. A printing press including a main frame, having extra bearings for respectively mounting an auxiliary printing cylinder and a fly-stick operating lever, an auxiliary frame attachable to the front of the main frame and having bearings forreceiving a fiy-stick shaft and a reel shaft.

5. A printing press including a main frame,

and printing instrumentalities, including a cylinder, said frame having extra bearings respectively for mounting an auxiliary printing cylinder in position to be driven by said first mentioned cylinder and to cooperate therewith for offset printing and a flystick operating lever, an auxiliary frame attachable to the end of the main frame and having bearings for receiving a fly-stick shaft and-a reel shaft, the bearings of said auxiliary frame being positioned'to receive the flystick and reel mechanism transferred from the main frame, and being arranged to position the transferred parts for roper operative cooperation with an auxihary printing c linder held in the auxiliary printing cylin er bearings of the main frame.

6. A device of the class described comprising a press, including a main frame, a printing cylinder, a fly-stick shaft, 2. fly-stick operating lever, operative by the cylinder, said main frame having a bearing for an auxiliary printing cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder for said bearing, placeable therein and when so placed drivable by said first cylinder, an auxiliary bearing for the fly-stick operating lever arranged to dispose the lever for actuation by the auxiliary cylinder, and an auxiliary frame attachable to the end of the main frame and having bearings for receiving the fly-stick and reel shafts, to position the same in operative relation to the auxiliary cylinder, when mounted in the auxiliary cylinder bearings of the main frame.

7. In combination, a printing press includ ing a main frame and the following elements upon the frame, an impression c linder, a fly-stick mechanism including a ystick shaft and connections between the le ver and shaft for operating the same as the result of motion of the cylinder, a reel shaft and reel and means for operating the same from the cylinder, a stop shaft, said frame having means to attach extra bearings to receive an auxiliary impression cylinder, a re movable table frame carrying elements of the fly-stick shaft operating mechanism, and reel, and in lieu of the table frame, an auxiliary frame attachable to the end of the main frame, and having hearings to receive the reel shaft, and the fly-stick shaft, and means for connecting the reel shaft for operation by the auxiliary impression cylinder when mounted in the extra bearings of the main frame.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of June, 1924.

DANIEL BELCHER. 

